All set for DPC gathering today

PESHAWAR - Difa-e-Pakistan Council is all set to hold its gathering in Peshawar (today) Sunday, wherein participation of a large number of people is expected, as over 80,000 chairs have been placed at the venue.

Difa-e-Pakistan Council is raising popular political slogans, particularly making a strong opposition to the expected restoration of Nato supply to Afghanistan via Pakistan. Difa-e-Pakistan Council, which is considered to be a non-political and non-electoral alliance and the main aim of which is stated to be protesting the US interference in the region, has hundreds of thousands of workers and supporters, who attend its meetings. The DPC has so far held a number of protest gatherings in almost all the major cities of the country including Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi.

Addressing a news conference here, Chairman Difa-e-Pakistan Council Maulana Sami-ul-Haq said that in the wake of the passage of the resolution by Parliament regarding the restoration of Nato supply, the DPC has now decided to launch a decisive movement for stoppage of Nato supply and against the present ‘pro-US’ government in the country. The movement, he said, would be launched by holding the DPC public meeting in Peshawar on Sunday. He said that passage of the resolution about the resumption of Nato supply was a slap on sovereignty of Pakistan.

Maulana Samiul Haq said conditional restoration of Nato supply meant acceptance of conditional slavery of the US, which was unacceptable to the nation. He said the DPC’s meeting in Peshawar had a great significance, as it would be a warning to the pro-US people.

They said that the gathering would be held amid tight security arrangements as full proof security measures have already been taken. Over 80,000 chairs have been placed at venue of the public meeting, while a 60 feet long stage having 19 feet height and 16 feet wideness has already been prepared. The DPC is an umbrella coalition of more than 40 political and religious parties have held huge public meetings in the above mentioned cities and expecting the same response from the people of Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, it is holdings a gathering in Peshawar today (Sunday).

To mobilize people to actively participate in the DPC sponsored public meeting which will be held at motorway ground, the organizers took out a motorcycle rally in the metropolis on Friday. Apart from, giant banners and sign boards have been displayed at all entry and exit points of the city. Most of them carry welcoming slogans to the leadership of the DPC upon their arrival to Peshawar.

Not only the DPC workers and supports in Peshawar but also from across the province would attend the public meeting, as local leadership of the council had time and again claimed that it would be a huge gathering, which will be held at motorway chowk near Ring Road.They were of the views that it was crystal clear that people of the country were totally against the restoration of Nato supply to US and allied forces in Afghanistan through Pakistan. They claimed that Nato supply continued during Musharraf regime and the current government was giving it a legal shape through parliament’s consent. They said parliament had no authority to compromise national interests.

Moreover, the DPC is also rejecting government’s decision to grant India most-favored nation status. The organizers of the DPC’s gathering in Peshawar while talking to The Nation said that proceedings of the public meeting would commence at 11am.

Almost all leadership of the council would address the meeting including chief of the DPC and JUI-S Maulana Sami-ul-Haq, ex-ISI chief Hameed Gul, Jamaat-e-Islami president Syed Munawar Hasan, Jamatud Dawa Ameer Hafiz Saeed, Awami Muslim League President Sheikh Rasheed Ahmad and others.